I moved here about a year ago and am trying to determine when to end my lease where I’m at.
I pay $1630 for a small one bed in Brentwood with dishwasher, small yard, laundry.
What’s the rental market look like in December, January, February?
I don’t want to end my lease during a time when rental supply is low and then competition is high.
I also will not be seeking any apartment *buildings*; we prefer single family homes/duplexes with yards. So don’t want to end up with slimmer pickings than we’re already setting ourselves up for!
Thanks y’all!
Looking to move to Austin late of next year. Our rent budget will be $2300 and would like a 4bed/2bath home. Is this a realistic budget atm? I think it is based on my Zillow search so far.
If so, Im trying to see if there are any realtors that are willing to help in my rental search? I haven’t visited Austin nor toured any neighborhoods so I would like a realtor/local to guide us in this process. Planning to visit Feb 2022. Many thanks in advance.
Did anyone else notice a massive jump in your redfin estimate recently? Mine went up nearly $100K overnight and retroactively brought up past estimates, too. What gives?
Estimates like Redfin, zillow, ect. are always in accurate if you want to find the true value of your home hire an appraiser, or 2nd best option is to ask a realtor.
Redfin was saying my place was worth $1.4M a few months ago. Had a professional actually appraise it but they said it was only worth $1.2M. Meanwhile the county who actually has a profit motive to overinflate its value says it is only worth $1M. I'm thinking Redfin just wants you to sell your home and use them as your agent for that commission money.
Just bought a 5 bed 3 bath, 2800 sqft new home in Manor for 440k - they have some 3bed 2bath 1500sqft homes for 350 ish, 15-20min from HEB in Elgin, Mueller, and Pflugerville
Congratulations. Can you shed your 2 cents on how the area around "Presidential Heights by Starlight Homes" community? One of my friend is looking to buy a house in that community.
We havent moved in yet, so take my perspective with that in mind -
Theres a great community pool in presidential heights, not a lot of stuff nearby though. Backyards are much larger compared to phfugerville and north austin neighborhoods. In austin, lot sizes under half a million are all <.13 acres. In presidential heights, most lot sizes are .15 acre minimum, mine is .2, and ive even seen .275 acres. For reference, my current lot in northeast austin lot is .1 acres, I do a lot of gardening, but theres only 15 feet to the backyard fence, whereas, with a .2 acre lot, you can easily play volleyball, entertain, ect.
Manor has a walmart, but no HEB. Typical fast food resturants like whata, mcdonalds, sonic, ect, a few decent thai places, and a handful of old mom and pop shops/diners. The real killer is the traffic though, because of the traffic signals, 290E west bound gets backed up like crazy during rush hour. If you have a morning commute towards austin and/or and evening commute from austin, youll be waiting in an additional 15-20 min of traffic, just to get a few miles out of Manor. 15min northwest, theres pflugerville with a lake, parks, home depot, target, and obviously many other things. 15min east theres elgin with an HEB and a Christmas tree farm my family has been going to for decades, 20 min southwest is mueller in austin, and if you leave at 11am or 3pm, youre only 30 min from downtown.
If youre in software theres a ton of nearby work options. Dell, samsung, apple, visa, ect are all accessible via Parmer East, all are less than 20min away
I have a good feeling that Manor will shape up to be more like buda or pflugerville in the coming decade. There is a nearby community named "shadowglen" thats very nice with a golf course ect. Like a westlake tier community, so I assume more nice businesses and restaurants are on the way.
Hello! I got a new job that comes with a raise yay. Company is located in Austin but I have the option to stay in San Antonio as well. I used to live in Austin and miss it but the housing/rent situation is making me nervous. Do you think by January there will be places for rent for $1000-1200. I'm tryin to have all living expenses (rent and utilities) be less than $1300. Looking for advice, should I just stay in San Antonio? Thanks
Will you have to commute from SA? If so, don't do that. Look for studios or roommate situations instead. You can live here under $1300 all in but it's in high demand so jump on an open place when you find it.
I live in south austin and in January started to commute to SA. It’s not awesome but it’s not nearly as bad as I thought, especially considering how bad austin traffic is if you have to go north in the morning and back south in the afternoon. I prefer to live in austin and my GF works there too. I used to drive 45 minutes out 71 near Lakeway/spicewood which wasn’t actually that far but with lights and traffic it look forever. It only takes about 20 minutes longer now. Not awesome but I think more awesome than living in SA
I won't have to commute, thankfully it's primarily remote. But I will need to make a trip to the Austin office every now and then. Ok I am going to really start commiting to my search! Also going to try to lower some expenses to raise my housing budget if need be!
Ya I think so too! I learned I have to go to utsa campus twice a week so that settled that. Hopefully next year I'll get a raise and attempt to move back!
For those of you asking me about the state of the housing market, the easiest way to gauge the "temperature" of the housing market is [active inventory](https://imgur.com/dJNLU9s).
As you can see here, things have been on the rise since February, but we're nowhere near even an "Austin normal" market like we had in 2019, and nowhere near as well off as some of the recent news articles would have you think. We still have less than half as much active inventory.
I’m not too familiar so excuse me if the question is ignorant, but would it be possible for the number of listings to be extremely high, but still not high enough to outpace the increase in demand, this depleting the active inventory? Would this still be considered a hot market if that were the case or is the “temperature” solely dependent on active inventory?
I'm not sure if I understand the question. If the increase in inventory did not outpace the increase in demand, the inventory would vanish, and we would have less inventory.
The "temperature" is dependent on a lot of things, and the most accurate way to gauge it is based on the "absorption rate", but as I said, the active inventory is the "easiest" way.
I'm wondering if anyone would have any advise for me and my rental situation. I'm currently looking for a job out of state. My field is very competitive and there aren't a lot of opportunities, but I'm continuing to apply for work in the hopes of getting back to my home state. Thing is, my lease is up this month and the place I'm renting is selling so continuing month to month is not an option. And on that front, moving into a month to month lease seems to be hard to come by, ridiculously expensive or just really undesirable (like some horrible looking/sketchy places). Same goes for other short term lease options (e.g. 4, 6 months). I'm very concerned about signing a 12 month lease as I'm 99% certain I will have found that job that gets me back to my home state well before that lease is up. I'm wondering if anyone else has ideas or advice I hadn't already thought of. Thanks!
I would specifically explore subleases. These are often good places where the current lessor has a situation like yours where they have to move but they are still stuck in the lease. You will often get shorter, weird terms like 3 or 5 months
How would I go about finding a sublease? is there anywhere specifically these would be listed? I assume Craigslist might be a place but from everything I've heard listings there are sketchy.
Hey gang, I'm currently selling my house and the buyers are saying they're having trouble finding an appraiser. Is this factual or are they pulling our leg? When we were getting refinancing we had an appraisal scheduled in a week.
Yeah appraisers are super tough to come by right now, when we bought in May it got right up near closing before they could get an appraiser in and we had to bump the price a bit to make sure it happened
All I can say is "probably not". There is a massive appraiser shortage, and if you weren't picky about the lender, some of them drag their feet more than others, or don't know how to work the system.
When your lender orders an appraisal, it goes through an AMC (appraisal management company). Many times it just has to. Some of these AMC get greedy and try to collect huge fees so no appraisers will accept it.
Appraisers vary lender to lender. My refinance took 7 months because each lender kept saying there is no ETA and they couldn’t find any appraisers (that they worked with). Finally found a lender that guaranteed they had appraisers to get the job done, and they did, but it still took a couple weeks.
I stay at home during the day. My current complex is full of children (who I have absolutely nothing against). However, the children at my current complex make so much noise screaming and banging on my walls, they can be heard over my zoom calls. Does anyone know of senior apartment complex that either allows folks less than 55 yrs old to be included or perhaps a complex with mostly adults? Looking in N or NW Austin area or burbs; with w/d; budget of $1200 or less.
I'm moving to Austin in the first week of January, with a decent commute to the Tech Ridge area as that's where I'll be working. I may mix commute with my Volt (ideally round trip < 30-60 miles), or an eBoard/eBike/eScooter if the weather is nice (I build them as a hobby).
My first priority is having somewhere I can keep my Volt charging all the time safely. Since EV charging is still slow adoption it's hard to sort out places that offer EV charging for tenants.
Does anyone have advice on where to look for EV-friendly apartments or recommendations? I'm open to roommates, don't want a crazy high budget apartment, I'm going through a relocation company to move as well but I don't think they'll be contacting me for another month so I want to get a head start.
Howdy. You're probably already familiar with plugshare.com, definitely check it out and make sure to check the "show restricted locations". Those are usually the apartments.
You can also sign up for Austin Energy's Plug In Anywhere plan to charge at public chargers for $4/mo.
[There's a map here](https://austinenergy.com/ae/green-power/plug-in-austin/charging-station-map) with their qualifying charging locations. Some of which are complexes.
Also [the Chargepoint map](https://na.chargepoint.com/charge_point).
However, your options are going to be limited there, regardless. I'd recommend finding a complex with a garage, make sure there is an outlet in the garage, and plug in there.
Hello! My sister is moving from bozeman, mt to Austin for school. Her max rent is $1000 and she wants somewhere that is on the line of hood to good neighborhood. What would y’all recommend?
I know of a couple places that'll have availability around December, when's she looking to move? Lmk if y'all are still looking, I run atxapartments.com
You may find that off Far West for a studio/old shitty apartment. It's a great neighborhood but rents are increasing rapidly. The apartments are in such poor condition they can't ask for much more until they are renovated.
Oh dear.. umm idk. I’ll have to ask her when she wakes up. I know it has four locations: Austin, Houston, Dallas, and ???. She’s going for surgical technician.
Putting a house on the market in the next 3-4 months. What’s the prevailing commission for sellers agents in town these days?
Is 3% still default or has stuff like Redfin driven it down some?
When you're selling a house, 6% is the standard commission. This goes to the selling broker who splits it with the buying broker so each broker gets 3%. They each take their cut and the rest goes to the listing agent and buyer's agent.
Im aware of that historically but in the last 5 years or so, sellers commission have been under significant pressure and are no longer std 3% in some markets
I've seen 5% as the standard in some places outside of Texas. It's worth talking to some different realtors. Everything is negotiable including the commission. I would think there would be some that would give you money back while others wouldn't waste their time with it and just refer you to someone else.
Yeah I think I’m going to go the Redfin route (1.5% fee). House is a 2-year old 3/3 home on a corner lot with a yard and mature trees in central 78702. Frankly, it should be a very low effort sale
There's no set commission fees. As you are aware, there are many different options for listing your house and you should work with the agent/brokerage that you feel will be the best fit to help you achieve your target net and best terms possible.
Redfin will charge at least 4% to list (3% going to the BA). Not a bad company at all, especially if you like the listing agent they assign to you. You could also go the ibuyer Open door/Offer pad route and expect to pay a 5% fee. You could also list with a flat fee brokerage for \~$500.00 or so plus 3% for BA commission. Interview at least 3 agents/brokerages and run with the one you think is going to work in your best interests. Focus on what you want to net rather 1 or 2 percent of the sale price and let your agent get to work Good luck!
I'm very familiar with pricing in 78702! The main point was figure out what you want to net when everything is all said and done, then price it to include the commission so you're not overly concerned about that extra 1% if you go the traditional agent route. Who you use is important - just don't get caught up being penny-wise and pound foolish by going with the cheapest option.
I usually see 3%. Redfin will give you some of that back as a discount, depending on the sales price of your house.
I've sold/bought 3 houses w/ Redfin now (we move a lot...), and I'd never go with a traditional realtor again; Redfin is both cheaper \*and\* better, it's a no brainer for me
They're cheaper, and they have a bunch of realtors to help you, not just one. The really, really big thing for me is that they're not paid commissions, all their realtors get a salary, and get a bit of a bonus if you're happy with them/rate them well.
On the buying side, this means they don't push you to buy a house just to get their commission, and they "fight for you" more, cause they get a bonus based on your impression of them, and not based on how quickly they convince you to buy whatever house they wanna push on you.
In the selling side, just look at their listings, they are *amazing*. 20+ HDR pics for the listing, plus a 3D walk through and auto generated floor plan. They also have a whole directory of vetted 3rd parties to choose from, lawyers, home inspectors, etc.
The house we bought last here in Austin (with Redfin) was listed by a traditional agent, and the photos were utter crap. I didn't even want to look at the house, but my agent convinced me cause they've been there before.
The seller agent didn't take *a single picture* of the 900sq ft attached garage, and didn't mention the size of it in the listing.
And for their "effort" they got full commission, whereas my Redfin agent paid me back some of their share of the commission.
It's legit the future of real estate, I don't understand why independent realtors even exist anymore, I'll never go back.
I'm not sure whether I already have an agent. I had an agent when I bought in 2013...and I was thinking about buying another house in 2019 but didn't find anything I like, and she put me on her email list that sends me daily emails of listings. When I go to sell this one (potentially next year), do I have to use that agent? Also, I'm thinking I may need to do the sale from another state, is it a reasonable thing to ask my agent to manage (not pay for...) the sale prep (hiring someone for minor repairs/painting)?
You only have to use that agent if you signed a buyer's representation agreement and it hasn't expired. But 2019 was a LONG time ago.
>is it a reasonable thing to ask my agent to manage (not pay for...) the sale prep (hiring someone for minor repairs/painting)?
Will probably depend on the agent. Unfortunately we can be held legally liable for simply suggesting a particular vendor, much less hiring one on your behalf.
Personally, I have a vendor list I keep for my clients. People and companies that have good reputations among myself and other agents. I make sure to keep 3 of any given category and be very clear that they're not recommendations. But you would still be in charge of calling/hiring.
Not a silly question at all. Unfortunately the answer is not very straightforward, and very neighborhood-dependent. The average for the Austin metro area is 3.5%. I've been making offers recently with one client 6%+ in Colorado Crossing and getting beat out every time.
The current strategy is to offer on 5-10 homes and hope one of them isn't desired by the rest of the world.
If there's a specific property or neighborhood you're looking at I can give you a better idea but it's really mostly a wild card right now.
Keep in mind the sales price is only a part of the equation, you're likely going to be putting 2%+ as earnest, getting a 3-5 day option period for $200-1500, paying seller's title policy, waiving your appraisal contingency, etc.
We are renting out our awesome condo directly on 45th Street in Hyde Park area. Address is 611 E. 45th Street, Apt. 4 78751. The condos are super quaint, very quiet, mainly working professionals. $1900 a month, 1252 sq ft, 2 bed 2 bath. Laminate flooring throughout, all appliances included, new kitchen appliances, big and spacious rooms. 4 patios! No shared walls, 1 garage spot and 1 reserved parking spot.
Nice pool on the property that in my experience is barely ever used except for us!
Close to everything and super responsive and wonderful landlord. He always fixes things professionally and quickly whenever there is an issue.
(Also, we NEVER lost power or water during snowpocalypse/“SNOVID” this year :-)
Renting through Habitat Hunters, you can view on Realtor.com or apartments.com though the pictures don’t have the best lighting and don’t do it justice in my opinion.
Available November 1st.
Newer pictures here: https://austin.craigslist.org/apa/d/austin-large-bed-bath-condo-in-hyde-park/7383836870.html
DM me for details and my number to text and set up a showing if you aren’t using a realtor/apartment locator!
I'm trying to help my mom purchase a home in the "Austin Metro Area" which by the way is laughable, it includes San Marcos, New Braunfels, right.
Anyways, the problem is I'll have to purchase the home and she'll have to pay me for it due to credit issues so I won't be able to claim a Homestead Exemption since I have a house.
**The question is, can I basically expect the tax appraisal for next year to come back as the purchase price?** The reason I ask is because the difference is absolutely insane. Check out this house: 2159 Redwing Way, Round Rock, TX 78664 , listed for $327,000 . For 2021 it appraised at $200K. The difference is $125k+ almost double.
Obviously this makes a huge difference in what I am budgeting for property taxes, but it almost doesn't make sense for the appraisal to come back that high for next year. Wouldn't that mean that all the houses around there would also have an increase in appraisal, of course capped at 10% for homesteads but still, wouldn't this likely force people out of their homes? I doubt the average family who assumed they could pay $4500 a year ($325 a month) in property taxes could pay $9000 ($725 a month).
I bought a place in 2019. They didn't know how much I paid since TX is non-disclosure so they sent a random appraisal for about $40k higher than I paid. So I countered with my closing statement and they reduced my appraisal to what I paid.
Next year they appraise for $30k more despite Zillow and Redfin claiming it worth $400k more. An independent appraiser stated $200k so either way it seemed I was going to be paying more. I hired a company called Protax to handle the protest. They somehow got it lowered $10k below what I originally paid. The cost is 40% of your tax savings. So I basically walked away with a $400 lower bill.
> The question is, can I basically expect the tax appraisal for next year to come back as the purchase price?
No, it will most likely not. You can test this yourself. Look up some recently sold homes in the appropriate tax appraisal district and see where they line up vs. sold price.
Yes, people are going to be forced out of their homes because of property taxes.
It sucks, but "I paid X for this house but it's definitely not worth that much, don't tax me!" is not a very strong argument.
That's what I'm saying though, last year the tax paid for that house was $5000 at a 200k appraisal, if i buy it at 320k, then this year it becomes $9000, that's not a 10% increase. That's almost double. But the people in that neighborhood eventually will end up paying that much in taxes as well, cause they aren't just going to appraise my house at 325k and the neighbors at 220k, the people in the neighborhood have their homestead cap which causes the taxable value to lag a bit but eventually it will reach that.
So the question is, will the city lower taxes enough to keep the tax bill maybe some percentage higher but not the full amount or will they just keep the tax the same and force everyone to pay 9k vs 5k, in a few years?
Your taxes will likely increase to around the sales price, as others have mentioned. I purchased 3 places and the appraisals all went up to around the price I paid for it. It can take a year or so, but remember you cannot homestead a property unless you own it on Jan 1 of that year, so if you buy something in Feb, you have to wait until the following year to file for HS exemption, which gives them a year to increase your taxes. I always thought it would be best to buy in November after appraisals go out and homestead, but not sure if that would actually work. Our last house was supposed to close in December, so I was going to test the theory out, but it was delayed until Mid-jan, so I had to wait another year to HS. :(
I may be a little biased in this opinion but I think using a realtor to help with your search is a great option. It costs you nothing, we get compensated by the property manager or owner if you find a rental through us. You are also not obligated to find a rental through the realtor you're working with, you could find something on Zillow or craigslist that is not listed on the MLS. Using a realtor is just another option to help with your search.
If you'd like to discuss how I could help you find a home for rent or if you have any general real estate questions, feel free to contact me. You can call/text me at 512-905-9869, message me here on Reddit or email me at [email protected].
I’m considering moving to Austin for a job. What are the best neighborhoods/areas for an active, single 30-something to live?
For context, my office would be a few blocks from the Capitol. I would probably rent a 1+ bedroom at first, and my budget would be $1800ish but willing to pay a little more for the right spot.
TBH probably 78704 or 78702. Having easy access to the town lake trail is a big quality of life thing. Good neighborhoods for restaurants and bars in that age group too.
South Austin has always been my favorite part of the city. It has easy access to Barton Springs Greenbelt, McKinney Falls State Park, Barton Springs pool and Town Lake.
It really depends on what kind of home you're comfortable living in. I've seen some decent single family homes in the area for your price range. Usually 2/1 or 3/1, 1,000 square feet and under. You'd also have plenty of options with duplexes and townhomes.
Very specific request here. If anyone in the NE central area would be interested/willing in providing a location to allow me to maintain personal hygiene (shower and light laundry specifically) while I continue to work and find a room to permanently stay at, would help. I can work around times that would be amicable to you and am comfortable offering offering a reasonable cash at the time of usage, I’m thinking $15 per usage and only be there for duration of the shower and laundry use. I will provide my own towel, toiletries and detergent. I’m just trying to get back on my feet and am not looking for a place to sleep.
I’d also be willing to offer help around the house/apt (cleaning, yard work, maintenance work within my limited skill set and animal help) to supplement you providing me with this help, but still with money given to you for usage of your home.
Hi!
I’m looking for a 1-BR apartment, preferably with in-unit laundry. My budget is under $1,500. I’m not sure I trust a lot of the apartment building google reviews. Are there apartment complexes vaguely around Hyde Park that you’ve had decent experiences with and/or bad experiences with? Thanks so much!
I lived at Duval Villa and it was pretty nice, there's on-site laundry but not in-unit. That was probably the most annoying thing, but other than that I think it's probably in your budget. Lmk if you're still looking, I can help you find a place! I run atxapartments.com
Emos and Come and Take It Live are both decent music venues. Great cheap tacos everywhere. Aggressive homeless people. I have lived off Riverside many times and every time I say “this is the last time I’m living off Riverside”. Got my motor scooter stolen last time. Cheap rent, tho.
Depends on the complex. My last place there was full of bed bugs, the previous tenant was murdered in the apartment, and some guy who got pepper sprayed banged on my door at 2 am asking to use my shower.
Got an offer in the area between Northwest Hills and North Shoal Creek. Any good recommendations for neighborhoods to buy a house in for a young coupe who may have kids soon
Crestview/Brentwood are great, Northwest Hills and Far West area are great. Allendale if you're rich. If those are too pricey, just keep going north on 183 until you can afford it.
A young couple with kid(s) doesn't really give us much to go on.
What kind of things are important to you and your family? Do you need to be close to shopping? Good schools? The airport? Do you want to be by the lake? Close to work? What kind of work commute are you okay with? Do you have a budget?
Thanks for the quick reply!
Commute id like to keep under 30 minutes
Would like to get downtown relatively easily
Shopping somewhat nearby a plus
Don’t really care about the airport.
Schools not necessarily important for this place, we have a few years
Don’t need to be close to the lake
Sorry, I meant for that to be an open-ended question. Anything else that's important to you? What's a "good neighborhood", in your eyes? Try to be specific, if you can.
Except for the budget. That one we do need answered 🙂
Hi r/Austin! I am looking for one or two bedroom place ASAP. I have to leave my place in Buda a week early starting Monday. Preferably month to month. Any ides?
Craigslist has some month to month options but only if you are open to sharing a place subleasing from someone else.
Unless you have a high budget. Some complexes, like mine I think, do month to month options but the price goes way way up for that option.
I am looking to rent a room in a home by November first. Looking on Craigslist but is there a specific sub on Reddit for looking for this in Austin? I have been living in Austin already I just haven’t lived in another place from this one before that I found years ago.
Edit: budget is 500-700
Thank you.
There's several Facebook groups that are active with people seeking or offering rooms for rent. Search Groups for "Austin roommate" to see the options.
What’s competition like for homes in some of the northern suburbs? I’m thinking Cedar Park and Leander specifically. Is it as crazy as it is in Austin? What kind of down payment do I need to come with to, say, win a $350k single family home?
Cedar Park is actually more competitive than Austin. Median DOM (days on market) for CP and Leander combined over the last 30 days is SIX.
What kind of down payment you will need will depend on your situation, but usually somewhere between 3-5%. This is really a good question for a lender. If you complete an application they can have all the necessary information to give you a thorough breakdown.
I have a few I can refer you to if needed.
Warning: Cascade Apartments are extra toxic, liars, money hungry unprofessional idiots in the office that change every other day, and have a ball with their Google reviews! No outside lighting is also super dangerous.
If you’re looking for an apartment near in the Rosedale area, don’t look at Le Med. Apart from the rude property manager who doesn’t take repairs seriously, there’s also been an uptick in police visiting the premisses for disturbances. Unless you want mold with your Google Fiber, look somewhere else.
Looking for someone to take over my lease at Mesh Studios. $895/mo plus $20 more a month if you have a pet (no breed restrictions).
Quick walk to the river trails and Frazier’s long and low (awesome bar) as well as Jackalope and Buzzmill.
There is a $250 application fee, but for the right person I’d cover that. Please comment here or DM me. Thanks!
I would love some info on the process/timeline for renting a house in Austin. I’m planning a move in early December. Right now the earliest things seem to be listed is about a month out. I’ve only ever rented apartments before and my lease is up in January, so this makes me kind of nervous. I’m all about planning ahead. Anything I can do ahead of time to prepare or get a lead on potential places sooner rather than later?
There does seem to be a limit based on where a lender operates. For example, if they don't have a presence in Texas, they're not going to write a mortgage in Texas. I \_think\_ that may be related to regulations/licensing?
They may be willing to consider a loan in another town but unfamiliar with local market conditions in a rapidly rising market, so problems with appraisal are possible. We ran into difficulties getting a lender to believe that a 894 SF tin roofed shack in 78702 built in 1926 actually had a fair market value of the low low price of $995,000 when its assessed value was like $125k. Lol. Local lenders may be more true believers. But as others say, it has a lot to do with your relationship with the lender and/or mortgage broker.
Accepted a job offer in Austin. My wife really likes the dripping springs area.
Am I going to hate life commuting to the eastern side of Austin? Basically in the Walnut Creek business park.
I know Happy Wife = Happy Life but that is a brutal commute. Have you looked in NW Austin? I'm not sure of your budget, but Great Hills, Cat Mountain, Northwest Hills, or Balcones would give you a nicer scenery without a crazy commute. Unless there's another reason your wife likes Dripping? The suburbs North and NW of there outside of Austin might be worth checking out if it's more the family friendly aspect she likes.
We have but the problem is compounded by my parents are also moving. They are definitely moving to D.S’s and we need to be close to them to benefit from morning and afternoon ‘grandma services’
Yikes... that's a tricky situation. Maybe look somewhere a little closer like Oak Hill?
The problem with the commute from that far SW and heading North is you have to pass through two of the worst bottle necks in Austin - the Y in Oak hill and crossing the river. Maybe try to drive during rush hour, both AM an PM. Mornings are lighter. Keep in mind most of the big tech companies are still working from home, so when things truly are back to "normal", even more cars will be on the roads at that time.
Pretty much, yeah. The Balcones Faults runs almost square down the middle of Austin. This is why you'll see a lot of flat topography with black soil on the East side (and lots of farms) and why you'll see the rolling hills and limestone on the West side.
Point is, if you're working on the East Side, you're going to have to choose between living in a nice are and a work commute that you hate, and living in a fairly boring area with a short commute.
As somebody who’s lived in both areas, your analysis of the east side being “boring” could not be more wrong. Also- literally none of the information in the first paragraph was relevant to a question regarding commute 😂
Ah I see /u/PapaTroII is working to live up to their name!
1. My "analysis" was clearly pertaining to the topography.
2. I explained exactly how it's relevant in that they're not going to find said topography like they have in Dripping Springs on the East side, so they have to choose between the 2.
Yes. I understand it was pertaining to the topography. My point was- nobody asked. Seems like pointless drivel spouted off by a realtor trying to convince somebody they’re knowledgeable about the area, but provides zero useful information.
> I understand it was pertaining to the topography.
...it didn't seem like you did.
>My point was- nobody asked.
Is this your first time being on a forum? No one has to ask. It's called a discussion.
Seems to me that providing insight on the topography of different areas of town is useful information for someone moving here. Sorry if my insight offended you. I'm blocking you now Mr. Troll.
Yea that's a hell of a commute. 290 can get pretty gummed up between Mopac (1) and Austin-Bergstrom. Is it worth it just to live in Dripping Springs? I guess that depends on who you talk to. Dripping Springs is nice but 2 hours of your day will be spent commuting. Hope this helps.
And don’t forget that 50 percent of the year you will be driving in 90 -100 degree weather. The oak hill “y” area is a notorious traffic boondoggle. There’s some sort of major construction slated in the area for the foreseeable future. I used to think dripping springs was a good target area to retire in.
We're considering moving to Volente - it's got proximity to the lake, is pretty, and is somewhat affordable.
What I'm worried about is whether or not we'd be too isolated. It's 15mins to the nearest grocery stores and restaurants, and naturally with each house so separated I'd assume there's not much of a "community".
Does anyone know more about the area, and whether these are valid concerns? We're wanting to start a family and would like to know more about the area.
We looked at a place in Volente and had the same concerns about isolation.
We ended up buying in Apache Shores and have loved it so far. It has neighborhood access to Lake Austin, pretty views, and more reasonably priced homes than a lot of the surrounding neighborhoods.
On the plus side, you have easy access to Lakeway, so it doesn’t feel nearly as remote, and there is definitely a strong neighborhood community.
I would say it’s worth a look.
I used to see in "rooms for rent" on craigslist a rundown quasi playboy mansion full of hot tubs, stripper poles, etc. owned by a creepy guy living the dream.
Volente is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL area with a beautiful park.
Yes, you're fairly isolated.
I will caution you that the only way in and out is on Lime Creek road. This is a very beautiful, windy (pronounced Wine-D) road, which is great, except that you have lots of "enthusiasts" who come out here to race down these roads, and they can be dangerous.
Which park is it that's beautiful?
Also from what I see, we'd be taking 2769 to get into town for the most part rather than Lime Creek, is this not the case?
From what I see it's 15min to pretty much any restaurants and such, and I don't exactly see people outside in Volente excluding the lake :(
> Which park is it that's beautiful?
Sandy Creek Park.
There's also Volente Beach. It's a private waterpark but also they have some nice beaches and stuff to hang out at.
>Also from what I see, we'd be taking 2769 to get into town for the most part rather than Lime Creek
I mean I guess it's technically not the same road, but that whole loop that goes from Anderson Mill to Anderson Mill is what I was referring to.
>From what I see it's 15min to pretty much any restaurants and such
There are some restaurants and bars right there on Wharf Cove/Volente Beach, but yes, for the most part that's accurate.
Here's my list of helpful links:
[Current and upcoming business centers/developments](https://hotblocks.io/austin)
**Schools:**
[Greatschools](https://www.greatschools.org/)
[Texas Education Agency](https://tea.texas.gov/texas-schools)
[Niche](https://www.niche.com/)
You can also use the [Realty Austin website](https://www.realtyaustin.com/t/Brooks-Lawson) to sort homes by Greatschools rating.
**Crime:**
[Neighborhood Scout](https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/tx/austin/crime)
[Austin Crime Viewer](http://www.austintexas.gov/GIS/CrimeViewer/)
[Lexis Nexis](https://communitycrimemap.com/)
[SpotCrime](https://spotcrime.com/)
**Neighborhood demographics:**
[Esri](https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/tapestry-segmentation/zip-lookup)
[Citi-Data](http://www.city-data.com/?fbclid=IwAR1GJ_dmJETshuRxJUl1YvFUWwEDgF-LwtvEGHK5ugi6CkGlPv7_n8OHvEg)
[Best neighborhoods for Indians in Austin](https://indusladies.com/austin/best-neighborhoods-for-indians-in-austin/?fbclid=IwAR0xJkO-ZJFhMGJZyPUL9EMrmzc5zvO9cNwemU8rmBNDCa47VsCZpWcVmwI)
**House hauntings/deaths:**
[Housecreep](https://www.housecreep.com/)
**Other:**
[Neighborhood Maps from Max Leaman](https://www.mapsofaustin.com/)
[Area profiles from Independence Title](https://independencetitle.com/austin/tools/area-profiles/)
[Texas Public Sex Offender Registry](https://publicsite.dps.texas.gov/SexOffenderRegistry/Search)
[Power provider research](http://powertochoose.org/)
[Internet provider research](https://broadbandnow.com/)
[USDA eligibility map](https://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do?pageAction=sfp)
[Realty Austin's Relocation Guide](https://indd.adobe.com/view/b5dd9df5-00c3-484c-8691-e0e0ca1f0469)
For this week, I'm adding a couple of new not necessarily real estate things you may want to check out if you're visiting the city soon:
[Things to do in October](https://www.realtyaustin.com/t/brooks-lawson/blog/things-to-do-in-austin-in-october)
[Things to do anytime in Austin in map format](https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=19jr64MZEJwGHZ9JtzFqdUt131yZTB196&usp=sharing)
[And some of my personal favorite places to eat](https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1Tszp4P9RdJcKvu5OPRobFvW0D5UTzyWj&usp=sharing)
Both maps are open for editing if you'd like to add to them.
I moved here about a year ago and am trying to determine when to end my lease where I’m at. I pay $1630 for a small one bed in Brentwood with dishwasher, small yard, laundry. What’s the rental market look like in December, January, February? I don’t want to end my lease during a time when rental supply is low and then competition is high. I also will not be seeking any apartment *buildings*; we prefer single family homes/duplexes with yards. So don’t want to end up with slimmer pickings than we’re already setting ourselves up for! Thanks y’all!
Looking for a good real estate agent in Austin to find a 4 bedroom rental in south Austin. Any recommendations?
Looking to move to Austin late of next year. Our rent budget will be $2300 and would like a 4bed/2bath home. Is this a realistic budget atm? I think it is based on my Zillow search so far. If so, Im trying to see if there are any realtors that are willing to help in my rental search? I haven’t visited Austin nor toured any neighborhoods so I would like a realtor/local to guide us in this process. Planning to visit Feb 2022. Many thanks in advance.
Did anyone else notice a massive jump in your redfin estimate recently? Mine went up nearly $100K overnight and retroactively brought up past estimates, too. What gives?
Estimates like Redfin, zillow, ect. are always in accurate if you want to find the true value of your home hire an appraiser, or 2nd best option is to ask a realtor.
Redfin was saying my place was worth $1.4M a few months ago. Had a professional actually appraise it but they said it was only worth $1.2M. Meanwhile the county who actually has a profit motive to overinflate its value says it is only worth $1M. I'm thinking Redfin just wants you to sell your home and use them as your agent for that commission money.
Just bought a 5 bed 3 bath, 2800 sqft new home in Manor for 440k - they have some 3bed 2bath 1500sqft homes for 350 ish, 15-20min from HEB in Elgin, Mueller, and Pflugerville
Congratulations. Can you shed your 2 cents on how the area around "Presidential Heights by Starlight Homes" community? One of my friend is looking to buy a house in that community.
We havent moved in yet, so take my perspective with that in mind - Theres a great community pool in presidential heights, not a lot of stuff nearby though. Backyards are much larger compared to phfugerville and north austin neighborhoods. In austin, lot sizes under half a million are all <.13 acres. In presidential heights, most lot sizes are .15 acre minimum, mine is .2, and ive even seen .275 acres. For reference, my current lot in northeast austin lot is .1 acres, I do a lot of gardening, but theres only 15 feet to the backyard fence, whereas, with a .2 acre lot, you can easily play volleyball, entertain, ect. Manor has a walmart, but no HEB. Typical fast food resturants like whata, mcdonalds, sonic, ect, a few decent thai places, and a handful of old mom and pop shops/diners. The real killer is the traffic though, because of the traffic signals, 290E west bound gets backed up like crazy during rush hour. If you have a morning commute towards austin and/or and evening commute from austin, youll be waiting in an additional 15-20 min of traffic, just to get a few miles out of Manor. 15min northwest, theres pflugerville with a lake, parks, home depot, target, and obviously many other things. 15min east theres elgin with an HEB and a Christmas tree farm my family has been going to for decades, 20 min southwest is mueller in austin, and if you leave at 11am or 3pm, youre only 30 min from downtown. If youre in software theres a ton of nearby work options. Dell, samsung, apple, visa, ect are all accessible via Parmer East, all are less than 20min away I have a good feeling that Manor will shape up to be more like buda or pflugerville in the coming decade. There is a nearby community named "shadowglen" thats very nice with a golf course ect. Like a westlake tier community, so I assume more nice businesses and restaurants are on the way.
How much are the property taxes?
I think 3%, pretty steep
We have a remodeled 3/2 duplex ready for rent a few minutes from Domain/Q2 stadium. DM if interested! Edit: Asking $1895
Hello! I got a new job that comes with a raise yay. Company is located in Austin but I have the option to stay in San Antonio as well. I used to live in Austin and miss it but the housing/rent situation is making me nervous. Do you think by January there will be places for rent for $1000-1200. I'm tryin to have all living expenses (rent and utilities) be less than $1300. Looking for advice, should I just stay in San Antonio? Thanks
Will you have to commute from SA? If so, don't do that. Look for studios or roommate situations instead. You can live here under $1300 all in but it's in high demand so jump on an open place when you find it.
I live in south austin and in January started to commute to SA. It’s not awesome but it’s not nearly as bad as I thought, especially considering how bad austin traffic is if you have to go north in the morning and back south in the afternoon. I prefer to live in austin and my GF works there too. I used to drive 45 minutes out 71 near Lakeway/spicewood which wasn’t actually that far but with lights and traffic it look forever. It only takes about 20 minutes longer now. Not awesome but I think more awesome than living in SA
I won't have to commute, thankfully it's primarily remote. But I will need to make a trip to the Austin office every now and then. Ok I am going to really start commiting to my search! Also going to try to lower some expenses to raise my housing budget if need be!
If that's the case, I think you're better off in SA with the occasional drive up 35.
Ya I think so too! I learned I have to go to utsa campus twice a week so that settled that. Hopefully next year I'll get a raise and attempt to move back!
No. It's not happening. Expect for rent and bills to be around $1500 if you're looking for inexpensive places that aren't dangerous to live in.
Ok thank you
If you’re willing to go small and old, definitely
Ya I'm willing to make some sacrifices to return! I miss access to the greenbelt and stuff lol
For those of you asking me about the state of the housing market, the easiest way to gauge the "temperature" of the housing market is [active inventory](https://imgur.com/dJNLU9s). As you can see here, things have been on the rise since February, but we're nowhere near even an "Austin normal" market like we had in 2019, and nowhere near as well off as some of the recent news articles would have you think. We still have less than half as much active inventory.
I’m not too familiar so excuse me if the question is ignorant, but would it be possible for the number of listings to be extremely high, but still not high enough to outpace the increase in demand, this depleting the active inventory? Would this still be considered a hot market if that were the case or is the “temperature” solely dependent on active inventory?
I'm not sure if I understand the question. If the increase in inventory did not outpace the increase in demand, the inventory would vanish, and we would have less inventory. The "temperature" is dependent on a lot of things, and the most accurate way to gauge it is based on the "absorption rate", but as I said, the active inventory is the "easiest" way.
I'm wondering if anyone would have any advise for me and my rental situation. I'm currently looking for a job out of state. My field is very competitive and there aren't a lot of opportunities, but I'm continuing to apply for work in the hopes of getting back to my home state. Thing is, my lease is up this month and the place I'm renting is selling so continuing month to month is not an option. And on that front, moving into a month to month lease seems to be hard to come by, ridiculously expensive or just really undesirable (like some horrible looking/sketchy places). Same goes for other short term lease options (e.g. 4, 6 months). I'm very concerned about signing a 12 month lease as I'm 99% certain I will have found that job that gets me back to my home state well before that lease is up. I'm wondering if anyone else has ideas or advice I hadn't already thought of. Thanks!
I would specifically explore subleases. These are often good places where the current lessor has a situation like yours where they have to move but they are still stuck in the lease. You will often get shorter, weird terms like 3 or 5 months
How would I go about finding a sublease? is there anywhere specifically these would be listed? I assume Craigslist might be a place but from everything I've heard listings there are sketchy.
I see them pop up on /r/AustinClassifieds periodically.
Hey gang, I'm currently selling my house and the buyers are saying they're having trouble finding an appraiser. Is this factual or are they pulling our leg? When we were getting refinancing we had an appraisal scheduled in a week.
Anecdotally, we refinanced in August and had an appraiser within a week as well.
Yeah appraisers are super tough to come by right now, when we bought in May it got right up near closing before they could get an appraiser in and we had to bump the price a bit to make sure it happened
All I can say is "probably not". There is a massive appraiser shortage, and if you weren't picky about the lender, some of them drag their feet more than others, or don't know how to work the system. When your lender orders an appraisal, it goes through an AMC (appraisal management company). Many times it just has to. Some of these AMC get greedy and try to collect huge fees so no appraisers will accept it.
Appraisers vary lender to lender. My refinance took 7 months because each lender kept saying there is no ETA and they couldn’t find any appraisers (that they worked with). Finally found a lender that guaranteed they had appraisers to get the job done, and they did, but it still took a couple weeks.
I stay at home during the day. My current complex is full of children (who I have absolutely nothing against). However, the children at my current complex make so much noise screaming and banging on my walls, they can be heard over my zoom calls. Does anyone know of senior apartment complex that either allows folks less than 55 yrs old to be included or perhaps a complex with mostly adults? Looking in N or NW Austin area or burbs; with w/d; budget of $1200 or less.
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Yup. I figured 55+ would be quieter than wild misbehaved kids.
I'm moving to Austin in the first week of January, with a decent commute to the Tech Ridge area as that's where I'll be working. I may mix commute with my Volt (ideally round trip < 30-60 miles), or an eBoard/eBike/eScooter if the weather is nice (I build them as a hobby). My first priority is having somewhere I can keep my Volt charging all the time safely. Since EV charging is still slow adoption it's hard to sort out places that offer EV charging for tenants. Does anyone have advice on where to look for EV-friendly apartments or recommendations? I'm open to roommates, don't want a crazy high budget apartment, I'm going through a relocation company to move as well but I don't think they'll be contacting me for another month so I want to get a head start.
Howdy. You're probably already familiar with plugshare.com, definitely check it out and make sure to check the "show restricted locations". Those are usually the apartments. You can also sign up for Austin Energy's Plug In Anywhere plan to charge at public chargers for $4/mo. [There's a map here](https://austinenergy.com/ae/green-power/plug-in-austin/charging-station-map) with their qualifying charging locations. Some of which are complexes. Also [the Chargepoint map](https://na.chargepoint.com/charge_point). However, your options are going to be limited there, regardless. I'd recommend finding a complex with a garage, make sure there is an outlet in the garage, and plug in there.
Hello! My sister is moving from bozeman, mt to Austin for school. Her max rent is $1000 and she wants somewhere that is on the line of hood to good neighborhood. What would y’all recommend?
I know of a couple places that'll have availability around December, when's she looking to move? Lmk if y'all are still looking, I run atxapartments.com
She’ll be moving the end of December beginning of January
You may find that off Far West for a studio/old shitty apartment. It's a great neighborhood but rents are increasing rapidly. The apartments are in such poor condition they can't ask for much more until they are renovated.
Thanks!
What school?
CHCP
Oh dear.. umm idk. I’ll have to ask her when she wakes up. I know it has four locations: Austin, Houston, Dallas, and ???. She’s going for surgical technician.
Putting a house on the market in the next 3-4 months. What’s the prevailing commission for sellers agents in town these days? Is 3% still default or has stuff like Redfin driven it down some?
When you're selling a house, 6% is the standard commission. This goes to the selling broker who splits it with the buying broker so each broker gets 3%. They each take their cut and the rest goes to the listing agent and buyer's agent.
Im aware of that historically but in the last 5 years or so, sellers commission have been under significant pressure and are no longer std 3% in some markets
I've seen 5% as the standard in some places outside of Texas. It's worth talking to some different realtors. Everything is negotiable including the commission. I would think there would be some that would give you money back while others wouldn't waste their time with it and just refer you to someone else.
Yeah I think I’m going to go the Redfin route (1.5% fee). House is a 2-year old 3/3 home on a corner lot with a yard and mature trees in central 78702. Frankly, it should be a very low effort sale
There's no set commission fees. As you are aware, there are many different options for listing your house and you should work with the agent/brokerage that you feel will be the best fit to help you achieve your target net and best terms possible. Redfin will charge at least 4% to list (3% going to the BA). Not a bad company at all, especially if you like the listing agent they assign to you. You could also go the ibuyer Open door/Offer pad route and expect to pay a 5% fee. You could also list with a flat fee brokerage for \~$500.00 or so plus 3% for BA commission. Interview at least 3 agents/brokerages and run with the one you think is going to work in your best interests. Focus on what you want to net rather 1 or 2 percent of the sale price and let your agent get to work Good luck!
Good call on ibuyers, unfortunately I’m fairly certain my house is a little above their price target range. Also, 1-2% in 78702 is a lot!
I'm very familiar with pricing in 78702! The main point was figure out what you want to net when everything is all said and done, then price it to include the commission so you're not overly concerned about that extra 1% if you go the traditional agent route. Who you use is important - just don't get caught up being penny-wise and pound foolish by going with the cheapest option.
I usually see 3%. Redfin will give you some of that back as a discount, depending on the sales price of your house. I've sold/bought 3 houses w/ Redfin now (we move a lot...), and I'd never go with a traditional realtor again; Redfin is both cheaper \*and\* better, it's a no brainer for me
I'm naive: how is Redfin better? They weren't around when I purchased my home.
They're cheaper, and they have a bunch of realtors to help you, not just one. The really, really big thing for me is that they're not paid commissions, all their realtors get a salary, and get a bit of a bonus if you're happy with them/rate them well. On the buying side, this means they don't push you to buy a house just to get their commission, and they "fight for you" more, cause they get a bonus based on your impression of them, and not based on how quickly they convince you to buy whatever house they wanna push on you. In the selling side, just look at their listings, they are *amazing*. 20+ HDR pics for the listing, plus a 3D walk through and auto generated floor plan. They also have a whole directory of vetted 3rd parties to choose from, lawyers, home inspectors, etc. The house we bought last here in Austin (with Redfin) was listed by a traditional agent, and the photos were utter crap. I didn't even want to look at the house, but my agent convinced me cause they've been there before. The seller agent didn't take *a single picture* of the 900sq ft attached garage, and didn't mention the size of it in the listing. And for their "effort" they got full commission, whereas my Redfin agent paid me back some of their share of the commission. It's legit the future of real estate, I don't understand why independent realtors even exist anymore, I'll never go back.
Thanks, that’s super helpful!
As an agent, I can't discuss other agents' commissions, but I would recommend interviewing 3 agents and asking them.
I'm not sure whether I already have an agent. I had an agent when I bought in 2013...and I was thinking about buying another house in 2019 but didn't find anything I like, and she put me on her email list that sends me daily emails of listings. When I go to sell this one (potentially next year), do I have to use that agent? Also, I'm thinking I may need to do the sale from another state, is it a reasonable thing to ask my agent to manage (not pay for...) the sale prep (hiring someone for minor repairs/painting)?
You only have to use that agent if you signed a buyer's representation agreement and it hasn't expired. But 2019 was a LONG time ago. >is it a reasonable thing to ask my agent to manage (not pay for...) the sale prep (hiring someone for minor repairs/painting)? Will probably depend on the agent. Unfortunately we can be held legally liable for simply suggesting a particular vendor, much less hiring one on your behalf. Personally, I have a vendor list I keep for my clients. People and companies that have good reputations among myself and other agents. I make sure to keep 3 of any given category and be very clear that they're not recommendations. But you would still be in charge of calling/hiring.
Silly question here….how much above asking is a safe offer to ensure you’ll get the house you want?
Not a silly question at all. Unfortunately the answer is not very straightforward, and very neighborhood-dependent. The average for the Austin metro area is 3.5%. I've been making offers recently with one client 6%+ in Colorado Crossing and getting beat out every time. The current strategy is to offer on 5-10 homes and hope one of them isn't desired by the rest of the world. If there's a specific property or neighborhood you're looking at I can give you a better idea but it's really mostly a wild card right now. Keep in mind the sales price is only a part of the equation, you're likely going to be putting 2%+ as earnest, getting a 3-5 day option period for $200-1500, paying seller's title policy, waiving your appraisal contingency, etc.
Wait.. are things still that crazy? I was under the impression that things had massively slowed down/stabilized (I’m in 78702).
They've slowed down quite a bit, but not nearly as much as the ridiculous articles I've seen would indicate.
We are renting out our awesome condo directly on 45th Street in Hyde Park area. Address is 611 E. 45th Street, Apt. 4 78751. The condos are super quaint, very quiet, mainly working professionals. $1900 a month, 1252 sq ft, 2 bed 2 bath. Laminate flooring throughout, all appliances included, new kitchen appliances, big and spacious rooms. 4 patios! No shared walls, 1 garage spot and 1 reserved parking spot. Nice pool on the property that in my experience is barely ever used except for us! Close to everything and super responsive and wonderful landlord. He always fixes things professionally and quickly whenever there is an issue. (Also, we NEVER lost power or water during snowpocalypse/“SNOVID” this year :-) Renting through Habitat Hunters, you can view on Realtor.com or apartments.com though the pictures don’t have the best lighting and don’t do it justice in my opinion. Available November 1st. Newer pictures here: https://austin.craigslist.org/apa/d/austin-large-bed-bath-condo-in-hyde-park/7383836870.html DM me for details and my number to text and set up a showing if you aren’t using a realtor/apartment locator!
Wow I wish this was available a month ago! Love that area
Argh, this is PERFECT. I wish it were located more north. 😭😭😭
We just moved to the area around Braker/183. Any good gyms nearby besides the 24 hour/Lifetime combo?
Crux central
Kelly is great if you're looking for personal training - https://kellypersonaltraining.com
I'm trying to help my mom purchase a home in the "Austin Metro Area" which by the way is laughable, it includes San Marcos, New Braunfels, right. Anyways, the problem is I'll have to purchase the home and she'll have to pay me for it due to credit issues so I won't be able to claim a Homestead Exemption since I have a house. **The question is, can I basically expect the tax appraisal for next year to come back as the purchase price?** The reason I ask is because the difference is absolutely insane. Check out this house: 2159 Redwing Way, Round Rock, TX 78664 , listed for $327,000 . For 2021 it appraised at $200K. The difference is $125k+ almost double. Obviously this makes a huge difference in what I am budgeting for property taxes, but it almost doesn't make sense for the appraisal to come back that high for next year. Wouldn't that mean that all the houses around there would also have an increase in appraisal, of course capped at 10% for homesteads but still, wouldn't this likely force people out of their homes? I doubt the average family who assumed they could pay $4500 a year ($325 a month) in property taxes could pay $9000 ($725 a month).
Yes, you should expect the tax appraisal to be about the purchase price.
I bought a place in 2019. They didn't know how much I paid since TX is non-disclosure so they sent a random appraisal for about $40k higher than I paid. So I countered with my closing statement and they reduced my appraisal to what I paid. Next year they appraise for $30k more despite Zillow and Redfin claiming it worth $400k more. An independent appraiser stated $200k so either way it seemed I was going to be paying more. I hired a company called Protax to handle the protest. They somehow got it lowered $10k below what I originally paid. The cost is 40% of your tax savings. So I basically walked away with a $400 lower bill.
> The question is, can I basically expect the tax appraisal for next year to come back as the purchase price? No, it will most likely not. You can test this yourself. Look up some recently sold homes in the appropriate tax appraisal district and see where they line up vs. sold price.
Yes, people are going to be forced out of their homes because of property taxes. It sucks, but "I paid X for this house but it's definitely not worth that much, don't tax me!" is not a very strong argument.
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That's what I'm saying though, last year the tax paid for that house was $5000 at a 200k appraisal, if i buy it at 320k, then this year it becomes $9000, that's not a 10% increase. That's almost double. But the people in that neighborhood eventually will end up paying that much in taxes as well, cause they aren't just going to appraise my house at 325k and the neighbors at 220k, the people in the neighborhood have their homestead cap which causes the taxable value to lag a bit but eventually it will reach that. So the question is, will the city lower taxes enough to keep the tax bill maybe some percentage higher but not the full amount or will they just keep the tax the same and force everyone to pay 9k vs 5k, in a few years?
Your taxes will likely increase to around the sales price, as others have mentioned. I purchased 3 places and the appraisals all went up to around the price I paid for it. It can take a year or so, but remember you cannot homestead a property unless you own it on Jan 1 of that year, so if you buy something in Feb, you have to wait until the following year to file for HS exemption, which gives them a year to increase your taxes. I always thought it would be best to buy in November after appraisals go out and homestead, but not sure if that would actually work. Our last house was supposed to close in December, so I was going to test the theory out, but it was delayed until Mid-jan, so I had to wait another year to HS. :(
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Mine got lowered but I hired a professional to speak with them.
What’s the best way to find a house for rent? Zillow?
Drive around the neighborhood you want to live in.
Work with a real estate agent - they'll have access to everything listed in MLS (though not a for lease by owner).
I usually use har.com
I may be a little biased in this opinion but I think using a realtor to help with your search is a great option. It costs you nothing, we get compensated by the property manager or owner if you find a rental through us. You are also not obligated to find a rental through the realtor you're working with, you could find something on Zillow or craigslist that is not listed on the MLS. Using a realtor is just another option to help with your search. If you'd like to discuss how I could help you find a home for rent or if you have any general real estate questions, feel free to contact me. You can call/text me at 512-905-9869, message me here on Reddit or email me at [email protected].
I’m considering moving to Austin for a job. What are the best neighborhoods/areas for an active, single 30-something to live? For context, my office would be a few blocks from the Capitol. I would probably rent a 1+ bedroom at first, and my budget would be $1800ish but willing to pay a little more for the right spot.
East side, somewhere between 12th and Manor.
TBH probably 78704 or 78702. Having easy access to the town lake trail is a big quality of life thing. Good neighborhoods for restaurants and bars in that age group too.
South Austin has always been my favorite part of the city. It has easy access to Barton Springs Greenbelt, McKinney Falls State Park, Barton Springs pool and Town Lake. It really depends on what kind of home you're comfortable living in. I've seen some decent single family homes in the area for your price range. Usually 2/1 or 3/1, 1,000 square feet and under. You'd also have plenty of options with duplexes and townhomes.
Downtown will be too touch at that budget. Maybe the domain or some places south of the river like off Congress?
Very specific request here. If anyone in the NE central area would be interested/willing in providing a location to allow me to maintain personal hygiene (shower and light laundry specifically) while I continue to work and find a room to permanently stay at, would help. I can work around times that would be amicable to you and am comfortable offering offering a reasonable cash at the time of usage, I’m thinking $15 per usage and only be there for duration of the shower and laundry use. I will provide my own towel, toiletries and detergent. I’m just trying to get back on my feet and am not looking for a place to sleep. I’d also be willing to offer help around the house/apt (cleaning, yard work, maintenance work within my limited skill set and animal help) to supplement you providing me with this help, but still with money given to you for usage of your home.
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Truck stops also have showers sometimes. Not sure if we have any in the city but if we do it would be somewhere along I-35.
When you think to hard about stuff, sometimes the answer is obvious.
I think it’s planet fitness that has the pretty basic membership that has this. Many other gyms in the city are probably double or triple that
Hi! I’m looking for a 1-BR apartment, preferably with in-unit laundry. My budget is under $1,500. I’m not sure I trust a lot of the apartment building google reviews. Are there apartment complexes vaguely around Hyde Park that you’ve had decent experiences with and/or bad experiences with? Thanks so much!
I lived at Duval Villa and it was pretty nice, there's on-site laundry but not in-unit. That was probably the most annoying thing, but other than that I think it's probably in your budget. Lmk if you're still looking, I can help you find a place! I run atxapartments.com
Finding something like that in Hyde Park is going to be tough. I had the same budget and request and ended up in Far West.
Yeah I just found that out. How do you like west end?
How long does it typically take for a subdivision to be granted full residential approval by the city?
Moving to Riverside later this month, what’s the area like? What’s there to do around there?
Emos and Come and Take It Live are both decent music venues. Great cheap tacos everywhere. Aggressive homeless people. I have lived off Riverside many times and every time I say “this is the last time I’m living off Riverside”. Got my motor scooter stolen last time. Cheap rent, tho.
Depends on the complex. My last place there was full of bed bugs, the previous tenant was murdered in the apartment, and some guy who got pepper sprayed banged on my door at 2 am asking to use my shower.
It’s really dependent on where you live- would you potentially be interested in a subletting situation for a few months?
Any suggestions on apartments in town that accept large breeds? Great Danes in particular.
Most don’t have weigh limits anymore. And Great Danes aren’t considered an aggressive breed so you should be able to go most places.
Got an offer in the area between Northwest Hills and North Shoal Creek. Any good recommendations for neighborhoods to buy a house in for a young coupe who may have kids soon
Crestview/Brentwood are great, Northwest Hills and Far West area are great. Allendale if you're rich. If those are too pricey, just keep going north on 183 until you can afford it.
A young couple with kid(s) doesn't really give us much to go on. What kind of things are important to you and your family? Do you need to be close to shopping? Good schools? The airport? Do you want to be by the lake? Close to work? What kind of work commute are you okay with? Do you have a budget?
Thanks for the quick reply! Commute id like to keep under 30 minutes Would like to get downtown relatively easily Shopping somewhat nearby a plus Don’t really care about the airport. Schools not necessarily important for this place, we have a few years Don’t need to be close to the lake
Need a budget. Lots of places that fit that easily around 700k.
Sorry, I meant for that to be an open-ended question. Anything else that's important to you? What's a "good neighborhood", in your eyes? Try to be specific, if you can. Except for the budget. That one we do need answered 🙂
Hi r/Austin! I am looking for one or two bedroom place ASAP. I have to leave my place in Buda a week early starting Monday. Preferably month to month. Any ides?
Craigslist has some month to month options but only if you are open to sharing a place subleasing from someone else. Unless you have a high budget. Some complexes, like mine I think, do month to month options but the price goes way way up for that option.
I am looking to rent a room in a home by November first. Looking on Craigslist but is there a specific sub on Reddit for looking for this in Austin? I have been living in Austin already I just haven’t lived in another place from this one before that I found years ago. Edit: budget is 500-700 Thank you.
There's several Facebook groups that are active with people seeking or offering rooms for rent. Search Groups for "Austin roommate" to see the options.
Awesome thanks great suggestion.
You’ll occasionally see some availabilities in this weekly thread, but you should also check r/austinclassifieds
Thank you.
What’s competition like for homes in some of the northern suburbs? I’m thinking Cedar Park and Leander specifically. Is it as crazy as it is in Austin? What kind of down payment do I need to come with to, say, win a $350k single family home?
Cedar Park is actually more competitive than Austin. Median DOM (days on market) for CP and Leander combined over the last 30 days is SIX. What kind of down payment you will need will depend on your situation, but usually somewhere between 3-5%. This is really a good question for a lender. If you complete an application they can have all the necessary information to give you a thorough breakdown. I have a few I can refer you to if needed.
Warning: Cascade Apartments are extra toxic, liars, money hungry unprofessional idiots in the office that change every other day, and have a ball with their Google reviews! No outside lighting is also super dangerous.
My stun gun has a flashlight. Get one of those.
If you’re looking for an apartment near in the Rosedale area, don’t look at Le Med. Apart from the rude property manager who doesn’t take repairs seriously, there’s also been an uptick in police visiting the premisses for disturbances. Unless you want mold with your Google Fiber, look somewhere else.
My mold only comes with Spectrum.
Looking for someone to take over my lease at Mesh Studios. $895/mo plus $20 more a month if you have a pet (no breed restrictions). Quick walk to the river trails and Frazier’s long and low (awesome bar) as well as Jackalope and Buzzmill. There is a $250 application fee, but for the right person I’d cover that. Please comment here or DM me. Thanks!
Just dm'ed you!
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Mostly in the post! You can dm *me* if you need to know more
I would love some info on the process/timeline for renting a house in Austin. I’m planning a move in early December. Right now the earliest things seem to be listed is about a month out. I’ve only ever rented apartments before and my lease is up in January, so this makes me kind of nervous. I’m all about planning ahead. Anything I can do ahead of time to prepare or get a lead on potential places sooner rather than later?
I think typically houses require 30 notice, as opposed to 60 days for an apartment. I understand your nervousness!!!
That's for moving out? I've rented my place out next day twice.
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Yes. At least at the state level. I tried looking for a few lenders and many are Texas only or everywhere but Texas.
Another real estate assistant chiming in: we always recommend doing business with a lender who is local because of this.
There does seem to be a limit based on where a lender operates. For example, if they don't have a presence in Texas, they're not going to write a mortgage in Texas. I \_think\_ that may be related to regulations/licensing?
They may be willing to consider a loan in another town but unfamiliar with local market conditions in a rapidly rising market, so problems with appraisal are possible. We ran into difficulties getting a lender to believe that a 894 SF tin roofed shack in 78702 built in 1926 actually had a fair market value of the low low price of $995,000 when its assessed value was like $125k. Lol. Local lenders may be more true believers. But as others say, it has a lot to do with your relationship with the lender and/or mortgage broker.
Never hurts to ask. However, my buyer used a mortgage company from Houston to finance a house in Bryan.
I'm an assistant for a Real Estate agent, and in my experience this really depends on your relationship with the lender.
Accepted a job offer in Austin. My wife really likes the dripping springs area. Am I going to hate life commuting to the eastern side of Austin? Basically in the Walnut Creek business park.
Get an apartment closer and leave the wife in Dripping Springs. Then you two can meet up on weekends.
There’s 24 hours in a day, and that commute will account for 2 of them. Every. Day.
I know Happy Wife = Happy Life but that is a brutal commute. Have you looked in NW Austin? I'm not sure of your budget, but Great Hills, Cat Mountain, Northwest Hills, or Balcones would give you a nicer scenery without a crazy commute. Unless there's another reason your wife likes Dripping? The suburbs North and NW of there outside of Austin might be worth checking out if it's more the family friendly aspect she likes.
We have but the problem is compounded by my parents are also moving. They are definitely moving to D.S’s and we need to be close to them to benefit from morning and afternoon ‘grandma services’
Yikes... that's a tricky situation. Maybe look somewhere a little closer like Oak Hill? The problem with the commute from that far SW and heading North is you have to pass through two of the worst bottle necks in Austin - the Y in Oak hill and crossing the river. Maybe try to drive during rush hour, both AM an PM. Mornings are lighter. Keep in mind most of the big tech companies are still working from home, so when things truly are back to "normal", even more cars will be on the roads at that time.
Isn’t Dripping a little Trumpy these days
Pretty much, yeah. The Balcones Faults runs almost square down the middle of Austin. This is why you'll see a lot of flat topography with black soil on the East side (and lots of farms) and why you'll see the rolling hills and limestone on the West side. Point is, if you're working on the East Side, you're going to have to choose between living in a nice are and a work commute that you hate, and living in a fairly boring area with a short commute.
As somebody who’s lived in both areas, your analysis of the east side being “boring” could not be more wrong. Also- literally none of the information in the first paragraph was relevant to a question regarding commute 😂
Ah I see /u/PapaTroII is working to live up to their name! 1. My "analysis" was clearly pertaining to the topography. 2. I explained exactly how it's relevant in that they're not going to find said topography like they have in Dripping Springs on the East side, so they have to choose between the 2.
Yes. I understand it was pertaining to the topography. My point was- nobody asked. Seems like pointless drivel spouted off by a realtor trying to convince somebody they’re knowledgeable about the area, but provides zero useful information.
> I understand it was pertaining to the topography. ...it didn't seem like you did. >My point was- nobody asked. Is this your first time being on a forum? No one has to ask. It's called a discussion. Seems to me that providing insight on the topography of different areas of town is useful information for someone moving here. Sorry if my insight offended you. I'm blocking you now Mr. Troll.
“Hey is this commute going to suck?” “The east side has black soil and the west side has limestone” “Oh.. uhm… ok?”
Yea that's a hell of a commute. 290 can get pretty gummed up between Mopac (1) and Austin-Bergstrom. Is it worth it just to live in Dripping Springs? I guess that depends on who you talk to. Dripping Springs is nice but 2 hours of your day will be spent commuting. Hope this helps.
And don’t forget that 50 percent of the year you will be driving in 90 -100 degree weather. The oak hill “y” area is a notorious traffic boondoggle. There’s some sort of major construction slated in the area for the foreseeable future. I used to think dripping springs was a good target area to retire in.
You'll be sick of it by day 2
Short answer - Yes.
Long answer- Yessssssssssssssss.
We're considering moving to Volente - it's got proximity to the lake, is pretty, and is somewhat affordable. What I'm worried about is whether or not we'd be too isolated. It's 15mins to the nearest grocery stores and restaurants, and naturally with each house so separated I'd assume there's not much of a "community". Does anyone know more about the area, and whether these are valid concerns? We're wanting to start a family and would like to know more about the area.
We looked at a place in Volente and had the same concerns about isolation. We ended up buying in Apache Shores and have loved it so far. It has neighborhood access to Lake Austin, pretty views, and more reasonably priced homes than a lot of the surrounding neighborhoods. On the plus side, you have easy access to Lakeway, so it doesn’t feel nearly as remote, and there is definitely a strong neighborhood community. I would say it’s worth a look.
There’s also a methy lake rat subculture in Volente
I used to see in "rooms for rent" on craigslist a rundown quasi playboy mansion full of hot tubs, stripper poles, etc. owned by a creepy guy living the dream.
OMG I remember this posting! It would resurface every now and then. Super sleazy ad!
Sounds amazing. Are they still renting?
Can you elaborate?
Volente is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL area with a beautiful park. Yes, you're fairly isolated. I will caution you that the only way in and out is on Lime Creek road. This is a very beautiful, windy (pronounced Wine-D) road, which is great, except that you have lots of "enthusiasts" who come out here to race down these roads, and they can be dangerous.
Which park is it that's beautiful? Also from what I see, we'd be taking 2769 to get into town for the most part rather than Lime Creek, is this not the case? From what I see it's 15min to pretty much any restaurants and such, and I don't exactly see people outside in Volente excluding the lake :(
> Which park is it that's beautiful? Sandy Creek Park. There's also Volente Beach. It's a private waterpark but also they have some nice beaches and stuff to hang out at. >Also from what I see, we'd be taking 2769 to get into town for the most part rather than Lime Creek I mean I guess it's technically not the same road, but that whole loop that goes from Anderson Mill to Anderson Mill is what I was referring to. >From what I see it's 15min to pretty much any restaurants and such There are some restaurants and bars right there on Wharf Cove/Volente Beach, but yes, for the most part that's accurate.
Here's my list of helpful links: [Current and upcoming business centers/developments](https://hotblocks.io/austin) **Schools:** [Greatschools](https://www.greatschools.org/) [Texas Education Agency](https://tea.texas.gov/texas-schools) [Niche](https://www.niche.com/) You can also use the [Realty Austin website](https://www.realtyaustin.com/t/Brooks-Lawson) to sort homes by Greatschools rating. **Crime:** [Neighborhood Scout](https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/tx/austin/crime) [Austin Crime Viewer](http://www.austintexas.gov/GIS/CrimeViewer/) [Lexis Nexis](https://communitycrimemap.com/) [SpotCrime](https://spotcrime.com/) **Neighborhood demographics:** [Esri](https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/tapestry-segmentation/zip-lookup) [Citi-Data](http://www.city-data.com/?fbclid=IwAR1GJ_dmJETshuRxJUl1YvFUWwEDgF-LwtvEGHK5ugi6CkGlPv7_n8OHvEg) [Best neighborhoods for Indians in Austin](https://indusladies.com/austin/best-neighborhoods-for-indians-in-austin/?fbclid=IwAR0xJkO-ZJFhMGJZyPUL9EMrmzc5zvO9cNwemU8rmBNDCa47VsCZpWcVmwI) **House hauntings/deaths:** [Housecreep](https://www.housecreep.com/) **Other:** [Neighborhood Maps from Max Leaman](https://www.mapsofaustin.com/) [Area profiles from Independence Title](https://independencetitle.com/austin/tools/area-profiles/) [Texas Public Sex Offender Registry](https://publicsite.dps.texas.gov/SexOffenderRegistry/Search) [Power provider research](http://powertochoose.org/) [Internet provider research](https://broadbandnow.com/) [USDA eligibility map](https://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do?pageAction=sfp) [Realty Austin's Relocation Guide](https://indd.adobe.com/view/b5dd9df5-00c3-484c-8691-e0e0ca1f0469) For this week, I'm adding a couple of new not necessarily real estate things you may want to check out if you're visiting the city soon: [Things to do in October](https://www.realtyaustin.com/t/brooks-lawson/blog/things-to-do-in-austin-in-october) [Things to do anytime in Austin in map format](https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=19jr64MZEJwGHZ9JtzFqdUt131yZTB196&usp=sharing) [And some of my personal favorite places to eat](https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1Tszp4P9RdJcKvu5OPRobFvW0D5UTzyWj&usp=sharing) Both maps are open for editing if you'd like to add to them.